Dwadashangi Ki Rachna Uska Rhas Evam Agam Lekhan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Dwadashangi ki Rachna Uska Rhas evam Agam Lekhan" by Hastimal Maharaj, focusing on the key themes and information presented:

Book Title: Dwadashangi ki Rachna Uska Rhas evam Agam Lekhan (The Composition of the Dwadashangi, its Decline, and the Writing of the Agamas) Author: Acharya Pravar Shri Hastimal Ji Maharaj Source: Compiled from "Jain Dharm ka Maulik Itihas Bhag - 2"

This work, by the renowned Agama commentator Acharya Hastimal, delves into the creation, subsequent decline, and the process of writing down the sacred Jain scriptures, known as the Dwadashangi. It draws upon his extensive research and incorporates insights from various authoritative Jain texts.

Key Themes and Content:

• Authorship of the Present Dwadashangi: The text strongly asserts that Acharya Sudharma is the author of the currently available Dwadashangi.

  • The Role of Ganadharas: It explains the fundamental principle in Jainism that the Tirthankaras (Jinas) deliver their teachings (deshna), and their chief disciples, the Ganadharas, then organize and codify these teachings into the twelve Angas (Dwadashangi) for the welfare of the religious order. These Angas are also referred to as the Ganapitaka.
  • Eternal and Temporal Nature of the Dwadashangi: While the meaning of the Agamas is considered eternal and uncreated (anadi-ananta), the form (Dwadashangi) is understood to be created anew with each Tirthankara's dispensation. This makes the Dwadashangi both eternal (in essence) and temporal (in its specific composition).
  • Lord Mahavir and Acharya Sudharma: After Lord Mahavir established the fourfold order, his teachings were first articulated by his eleven Ganadharas, including Indrabhuti Gautam and Acharya Sudharma. Each Ganadhara composed the Dwadashangi in their own style, but the core meaning remained identical, reflecting the Tirthankara's discourse.
  • Survival of Acharya Sudharma's Lineage: Out of the eleven Ganadharas, ten attained liberation before Lord Mahavir's Nirvana. Indrabhuti Gautam also achieved Keval Gyan and attained Nirvana 12 years later, leaving behind his lineage. Consequently, only Acharya Sudharma's lineage and his version of the Dwadashangi continued to be transmitted.
  • Evidence for Acharya Sudharma's Authorship: The text cites various passages from the Agamas, such as the introductory phrases in Acharya-anga texts like Acharanga, Samvayanga, Sthananga, Vyakhyaprajapti, Uttaradhyayana, and Dashavaikalika, which begin with phrases like "Suyama Ayus! Teyan Bhagvata Evamakhyatam" (I have heard, O venerable one, the Bhagavan has said this). This phrasing indicates that the speaker (Acharya Sudharma) is relaying what he directly heard from Lord Mahavir. The text further highlights specific examples from Anuttaraupapattika Sutra and Jnata-dharma Katha, where Acharya Sudharma explains the meaning of different Angas to his disciple Jambu, explicitly stating that he heard it from Lord Mahavir.
  • Scholarly Consensus: The text emphasizes that this understanding of Acharya Sudharma's authorship is supported by numerous ancient Digambara and Shvetambara texts. Authors like Pujyapada Devanandi, Acharya Akalank Dev, and Acharya Vidyananda also state that Tirthankaras preach the Agamas in essence, and Ganadharas compose them in form.
  • Contrasting View in Dhavala: The text notes a dissenting view in the Dhavala commentary, which suggests that Acharya Sudharma received the knowledge of the Dwadashangi from Indrabhuti Gautam. However, the author points out that this is a later, individual interpretation not found in earlier texts of either tradition, and questions its validity.

• The Decline (Rhas) of the Dwadashangi: The text meticulously details the reasons and process of the Dwadashangi's decline over time.

  • Nature of the Decline: The decline wasn't a complete loss but a gradual erosion of knowledge and content. This was attributed to various factors, including:
    • Natural Calamities: Severe famines, like the 12-year famine.
    • Societal Changes: Revolutions in social, economic, religious, and cultural spheres.
    • Passage of Time: The natural fading of memory and intellectual capacity (buddhi-mandya) due to the passage of millennia.
    • Human Factors: Negligence (pramada), laxity in conduct (shithilachar), sectarian divisions, and confusion.
    • Oral Tradition: The reliance on oral transmission, while initially effective, was vulnerable to these factors.
  • The Dust Analogy: The text uses a powerful analogy from Acharya Kalaka. He showed his disciple Sagar a handful of dust, demonstrating how it diminished as it was moved from one place to another. Similarly, the knowledge of the Dwadashangi, passed down through successive generations of Ganadharas, their disciples, and their disciples, progressively diminished.
  • Incomplete Codification: Even the Ganadharas, despite their best efforts, could not fully codify the infinite and multifaceted teachings of the Tirthankara. The subsequent transmission of this knowledge further led to omissions and alterations in its meaning.
  • Loss of the Fourth Anga (Drishtivada): The text specifically mentions that the twelfth Anga, Drishtivada, was lost much earlier.
  • The Twelve Púrvas: The text provides detailed tables (in Hindi) listing the Shvetambara and Digambara traditions' estimations of the number of words (pad, shlok, akshar) in each Anga and the fourteen Púrvas (pre-Anga scriptures). These tables starkly illustrate the immense original magnitude of the Dwadashangi and the Púrvas, and the vast loss that occurred. The immense size of the Púrvas, described as having infinite meanings and requiring vast amounts of ink to write, further underscores the scale of the lost knowledge.

• The Writing of the Agamas (Agam-Lekhan) and the Vallabhi Council:

  • Shift from Oral to Written: The Jain tradition initially prioritized the oral transmission of scriptures (Shruta-parampara) to maintain their purity. The avoidance of writing was also due to a sense of non-violence (anarambhi manovritti) as the process of creating manuscripts involved more worldly activities.
  • Necessity of Writing: However, as the capacity for memorization declined and the risk of losing the scriptures entirely due to the aforementioned factors became evident, the need for systematic writing arose. This was seen as a way to preserve knowledge, facilitate learning, increase concentration, reduce negligence, and ensure the continuity of the lineage of knowledge for centuries.
  • Early Stages of Writing: Some writing of scriptural portions began during the time of Aryarakshit and Aryaskandil.
  • The Vallabhi Council: The most significant event in the systematic writing of the Agamas was the council held in Vallabhi under the leadership of Acharya Devardhi Kshamashraman around Vira Nirvana Samvat 980. This council is credited with codifying the current form of the Agamas into written manuscripts.
  • Two Interpretations of Scripture Loss: The text discusses two interpretations of how the scriptural knowledge was preserved after the loss due to famine and other factors. One view suggests that the scriptures themselves were lost, while the other posits that the knowledgeable custodians (Anuyogadhnaras/Shrutadharas) perished. The author leans towards the former, supported by the quantitative evidence of the texts.
  • The Shrinkage Before Vallabhi: The text argues that considerable loss of the Dwadashangi had already occurred by the time of the Skandiliy and Nagarjuniya recensions (around Vira Nirvana Samvat 827) and that the present quantity of the Ekadashangi (eleven Angas) was likely not significantly larger then. The Vallabhi council finalized what remained.
  • Shvetambara and Digambara Traditions: The text concludes by outlining the different numbers of Agamas accepted by various Shvetambara sects (45 in the Murtipujak tradition) and the Shvetambara-sthanakavasi and Terapanth traditions (32 scriptures). It also lists the categories of scriptures: Anga, Upanga, Mula, Chhed, Prakirnaka, and Chulika, highlighting differences in their classification and acceptance.

In essence, this work by Acharya Hastimal provides a detailed historical and scriptural account of the Dwadashangi, tracing its origin from Lord Mahavir's teachings, its codification by Acharya Sudharma, the inevitable decline due to various adverse circumstances, and the crucial step of writing it down at the Vallabhi council to preserve it for future generations. It emphasizes the immense value and the arduous journey of the Jain scriptural heritage.